Compare your state's happiness ranking with the average income in your area

It's the eternal question: Can money buy happiness? Conventional wisdom (hi, Mom) negates the notion, but here at WomansDay.com, we decided to take a slightly more systematic approach to finding an answer. We set out to compare the average personal income in each state with its "happiness" ranking—a ranking based on the level of satisfaction the state's residents reported on life areas such as work quality, emotional health, life satisfaction and basic access to food, shelter and other necessities (as reported in the oft-cited Gallup-Healthways index). The results were in equal parts surprising and predictable, but we'll let you draw your own conclusions.

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Below, find out which are the top 10 happiest states in the country, and where they fall in the range of average salaries across the nation. Then, for the complete list of happiness rankings by state, scroll down.